Mystic Bearers
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: It's two years after Drago's defeat, and everything seems normal...until strange markings appear on the bodies of those most involved in the battle.
1. The Mark

1. The Mark

Jade Chan woke up slowly and stretched. School day today, so she'd better get ready. Ditching her jammies, she grabbed her towel and headed for the shower.

As she lathered up, she thought about how her life had changed the past couple of years since Drago's defeat. No more demons...no more magic craziness...no more crime syndicates to fight...no more crazy adventures...

Gods, what a bore!

Or at least, she'd think that if real life hadn't caught up to her. There was plenty keeping her busy and plenty to think about.

Jackie had gone back to his career as an archaeologist...FINALLY. In between digs, he spent time at Uncle's Rare FInds, spent time with Jade, or - as was his usual preference - spent time with his new girlfriend...Viper. Jade was still happy they finally got together. Of course, what with Viper's new career as a super spy, they didn't see each other as often as they would like...or as often as Jade would have liked. Jackie was always so much more easy going whenever Viper was around.

Tohru had his own place now, though he still worked for Uncle. When Jackie was out on a dig, she stayed with Tohru. It was her personal preference, as it meant not going anywhere and not staying with Uncle...who had just gotten crotchetier over time, though he was fun...occasionally.

Paco was off in Mexico with El Toro, beginning his career in Junior Mucha Libre. He'd gotten pretty famous already, and was apparently very popular with the ladies. Not that he pursued any relationships; El toro had taught him better than that. ...besides, Jade had promised to keep his boyfriend a secret.

Jade had finally started formal training in chi magic, and was doing quite well. It had been relatively easy to convince Uncle and Tohru to let her learn.

Flashback...

"Look, Uncle, Big T, do you really think anything you can come up with can keep me out of the library if I really want in?" Jade thought she was being eminantely reasonable.

"Well...not really," Tohru had admitted ashamed. He had tried to do just that several times...and she had easily circumvented them.

"Magic is not a game or a toy!" Uncle declared, angrily.

"THen wouldn't it make more sense, since I obviously have such a strong interest and inclanation towards chi magic, to have me learn in a controlled environment under your tutelage?"

THey had both gone quiet, obviously thinking.

She pulled out a book, and flipped it open to a page. "I'll go one further. Apply this to me while your teaching me." It was a mage seal. Once placed on her, she would be unable to use chi magic except in the presence of her teachers, or in self defense in a major emergency. "That way you won't have to worry about what I'm up to when you're not looking! All I'll do solo will be research."

Tohru and Uncle had looked at each other.

End Flashback...

Jade glanced at her right arm. The runes for the seal glowed green, but only to those with magic talent or high exposure to magic's usage. The runes would naturally expand as her power grew, and would disappear when Uncle declared her to have completed her training. When she had first gotten it, they were only around her wrist. Now they were halfway up her forearm. It had been a pretty big concession, but she'd seen old records of what had happened to mage students who got into spell workings too big for them. She didn't want to risk that.

Glancing down at herself, she grinned. Her magic hadn't been the only thing to grow over time. She'd had a growth spurt, too...in more ways than one. She'd gained a foot in height since her days of demon hunting, and was quite proud of her B-cup. Even as much of a tomboy as she was, she was still very much aware of how that made the boys look at her. She had had questions about that part of her growth, but she'd dealt with them in the most logical manner. She had asked Viper how it would effect her social and emotional life, and Uncle how it would effect her magical training and abilities. Viper had answered her questions easily, happy that she had come to her. Uncle...had tried very hard not to faint.

Glancing down at herself, she noticed something...purple right near the top of her right breast. Because of the angles, she couldn't get a clear look at it in the shower, and she couldn't seem to scrub it off. Sighing, she decided to finish her shower and take a look at it in the mirror.

Finishing her scrubbing, she stepped out and wrapped herself in her towel. Then she saw herself in the mirror...and she staggered backwards, staring at her reflection in shock.

Right there on her skin was a blue octagon surrounding the stylized image of a rabbit. It hadn't been there the night before...and she knew that shape far too well.

"JACKIE!"


	2. The Price of Magic

2. The Price of Magic

Jade sat in Uncle's mage room in her towel as Uncle and Tohru examined the mark. Jackie stood nearby, obviously panicking.

"Uncle! What could have caused this?" Uncle smacked him on the head. "Ow!"

"Do not interrupt Uncle!" Uncle examined the mark closely. "Fascinating. It resembles the rabbit talisman."

"Gee, ya think? And here I thought it was a Disney character," Jade said with heavy sarcasm.

"Really?" Uncle said, interested. "Which one?"

Jade glared at him. "I was being sarcastic."

"Oh." Uncle rubbed his chin. "Did you do this, Jade?"

"Do you think I would make this much fuss over a wierd mark on my body if I'd done it?"

"Ah. Good point." Uncle turned back to his books. "I think I have enough information to research this. You should be getting to school-"

"Oh crap! I'm late!" She hopped off the stool...and blured up the stairs and then out the door, moving at super speed.

Uncle blinked as he watched. "Definately talisman power...but how?"

A few moments later, Jade blured back in. "Uncle! I've got rabbit talisman power somehow! At first I thought it was awesome, but...look!" She pulled off her hat and turned to show...bunny ears and a cotton tail.

"Fascinating," Uncle said. "It seems that using the power causes you to gain aspects of the animal the power derives from. It seems to be fading already though."

"So not using it makes it dissapear? Cool, I can deal with that." Se turned to run out, but Uncle grabbed her shoulder.

"Careful, Jade. If Im right, the more you use the power, the more animal traits you will exhibit, and the longer they will take to fade."

Jade nodded. "Got it, Uncle." She knew enough about magic now to listen. "In that case, may I have permission to teleport myself to school? I know a safe place I can warp to."

Uncle nodded. "Let's see your teleportation mix."

Jade reached into a hidden pouch in her backpack and pulled out a small vial. Uncle examined it, then nodded. Jade chanted. "Yiu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao...Yiu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao..." she popped open the vial and green smoke lifted out, surrounding her, and she vanished.

At the school, she corked the vial and slipped it back into its pouch. Checking to see that the ears and tail had faded, she went to meet Stanley.

Meanwhile, Captain Black was having a bit of trouble at his job. He had been leading a task force to take down a criminal syndicate...but had run into some trouble when the group had some surprise magical backup. He'd called in the mystic squad, but they were caught up in other business and wouldn't get there for a while.

To top it off, his left arm was in a full cast because of an accident recently that had mangled it, and his sidearm was out of ammo.

"Dammit," he snarled. "How are we going to deal with this?"

"Good question."

He looked up. One of the thugs had used a magic weapon to warp behind him and was read to blow his head off. Augustus thrust his busted arm forward, not sure what he was doing.

Suddenly his cast exploded outward, and a stream of fire drove into the thugs gut, sending him flying backwards.

Captain Black stared at his left hand, which had been covered by the cast. Hs arm felt fine now, and a red octagon was in the center of his palm, surrounding a stylized dragon, an image he recognized. The symbol was still smoking.

"What the..." More explosions occured nearby. "Fight now, ask Uncle later." Remembering something he'd seen this power do before, he held his hands together and gathered a copresed sphere of flame. "Sweet." He hurled it at the entrenched syndicate, and smiled with satisfaction at the explosion. As he continued, he didn't notice scales spreading over his body. 


	3. Revelations of Burden

3. Revelations of Burden

Viper ran through a...facility, somwhere in...well, somewhere. It was probably best if noone ever actually knew where this facility was. If she was lucky, she'd make it out alive before the bomb she had set up went off, and then no one would ever have to know about this place.

That was her mission. That's what it was to be a superspy. James Bond eat your heart out.

She saw the dead end. She knew there was no way out. She turned, knowing they were chasing her, knowing she was caught.

"Sorry, Jackie," she mumbled to herself, "guess I'm gonna miss our anniversarry." She walked slowly outward, expecting to be caught at any moment. At least she would go with dignity.

The guards ran around the corner...and ran right past her. They seemed very confused about the dead end. Viper didn't know what was going on, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and ran out of the building, escaping just as the bomb went off, destroying the place.

She reached for her bag...and couldn't see it. She realized she couldn't see herself...and then she could. Grabbing her phone, she glanced at her reflection...and saw what she should have thought was to not look a gift snake in the eye.

Her pupils were slitted.

"Woah," she said simply. "That's new."

Ratso came out of his room. "Hey, Fin! Chao! Check it out! I made Super Moose fly!"

"Du-du-du-DU-du-du! Antler...Action!" A Super Moose doll came flying out of Ratso's room.

Fin stared, absently scratching at the somewhat familiar orange mark on his shoulder. "Ratso...you have a tail," he pointed out to his friend.

Ratso looked at the rat tail poking out the back of his pants. "Woah. Cool."

Chao came staggering out of the bathroom. "I broke my glasses again," he mumbled.

"How'd you manage that?" Ratso asked.

"Heat beams came out of my eyes."

Fin continued to scratch at the mark on his shoulder as he idly floated into the air. "Dude...this is starting to sound like talisman power...but the talismans ae gone."

"Uhh...are they?" Ratso asked, staring at Fin. "You're floating."

Hak Fu was doing his normal training regimen, waiting for someone to hire him. Leaping into the air, he shouted his usual cry, "Angry Crow Takes Flight!"

There was a flash of light. A red crow landed on the ground, blinking, then spread its wings in flight. THose attuned to magic could ehar a voice say, "Confused crow seeks wize wizard."

Uncle looked at himself in the mirror. Something felt different. Tilting his head back, he tried to get a better look at himself. He felt...younger somehow today. More vital.

He noticed a yellow mark on the undeside of his chin. He traced it with a finger tip. "Aiyah..." he said quietly.

Upstaris, Tohru stared at the purple mark on his belly button, trying to make out its shape. I f he looked at it just right...it almost looked like a horse...

Jade walked into school, unaware of the mystical calamity that had suddenly focused around those closest to her. 


End file.
